The Waiting Game!

Eldest daughter is 39 weeks and 4 days pregnant and someone needs to tell this new grandbaby that she can come out ANYTIME!!!!! Every little twinge, every little 'not feeling well' has you questioning...is this it....is it NOW!!! but, much to the annoyance of everyone but most of all to eldest daughter, Leslie,...nothing....just a lot of uncomfortablness (is that a word?). Even the baby's older sisters have asked the baby to come out and play...but...nothing.....sigh.....
Come on, little baby girl...nana wants to play.......

Moving Day!

Not mine, thank the Lord....if you ever saw my basement than you'd know why! Second oldest daughter is doing some rearranging in her life and is planning on changing colleges, so, hence The Move!!! Last night my husband and my son-in-law went to daughter's place to do a 'pre-move' of a chesterfield and matching chair....and through some 'tetris-like' moves, (my husband's words)...my son-in-law and daughter's boyfriend, we're able to fit them into my mini van. Then, this morning we took both our vehicles and two of our older kids with us and went and moved the rest. Now, my husband is known as the master packer and he didn't let down his reputation at all.....he managed to get all her clothes, kitchen, stuff, linens and towels, computer, desk chair, television, microwave, two large mirrors, bed, mattress, futon rack and lest I forget....Jerry and Kramer, two goldfish, swimming away in their aquarium! (big breath!), packed into one mini van and one small car!

So, now she's all moved into her new place and she can get going on the next part of the journey called life.....Welcome to the neighborhood, Lauren...we're glad you're near!

Crazy Tucker!

To add to the mix of all my children, we have two dogs, and eight year old Black Lab, named Tucker, and a two year old, Old English Sheepdog named Reilly. Today I'm going to tell you about Tucker. We got Tucker when he was about eight weeks old...he was my birthday present. I was drawn to him from the rest of the litter because while I was just standing there observing all the pups he came over to me, laid down on my foot and went to sleep. He's still attached to me ....unfortunately, now he's a little neurotic about the whole situation. Over the past few years he's had some of his best buddies die and he's taken it quite personally...for instance, my daughter had a Newfoundland dog, who died about six months ago. Tucker and Gideon came into our house about a week apart (my daughter and her husband were between houses and stayed at ours for a few months.....okay seven months, and they had 'ordered ' this newf before they left their last place)....anyways, Gideon, had this annoying habit of drinking from the toilet! While Gideon was alive Tucker never went near the toilet but after Gideon died Tucker started drinking from the toilet! Just over a year ago, the other dog we had, a border collie was killed up on the highway and Tucker went into a deep depression, so we just had to get him a new buddy....thus Reilly came on the scene. Anyways, I guess Tucker's had one too many emotional crises cause he's plain crazy when I go out of the house....even when I'm in the house he follows my every move. I just had to go and pick one of my daughter's up from school and I came back home to a completely shredded running shoe and pee on the floor......my son wont be impressed since it was his shoe...thank goodness it was an old pair. I've tried medication, music, dog bones, dog toys.....none of these things work....I think we need some kind of intervention! If anyone has any thoughts, please share them,...I'm desperate!

Blog-Annonymous!!

Hello, my name is Marie, and I'm a blogaholic. "Hello, Marie". There must be a group out there somewhere for this problem,...after all, they have groups for everything else, don't they? It started out innocently enough, my daughter created a blog, now if I could remember exactly how to put the link in that she showed me last night, then I'd show you, but alas...too much info, too little brain cells left! Then I heard that my niece had a blog, so I added her. Then I used to be big fan of Lisa Welchel's journal site, and in that she mentioned one of her friends, so add her to the list! It starts so innocently....honest.....well, now I have a list of about twenty!!! When I get on the computer it's amazing how fast an hour goes when your peeking into other peoples lives! I told my daughter that it's like having a bunch of new friends,(even though they don't know me from Adam!). I love to read about their latest project, what their kids are doing, whether so-and-so got the house, is finally moving, had the baby, (speaking of babies....2 weeks and counting til next grandbaby makes her appearance!) You also end up praying for people that you know but don't know and you feel in your own way that you're helping.
Now, I knew yesterday that I had a problem when I asked my son-in-law about transferring all my info onto a new computer. (I had already asked my husband and he said, I'm sure there's a way, we'll have to ask James) So, I asked James and poor James he thought I meant just this blog and then my oh-so-pregnant daughter piped up, 'she means all the blogs she reads!! James said sure mom, no problem! Phew, what a relief! I can breathe easier because I told him I wouldn't have to make a list, checking it twice, to find out who's naughty or nice,..whoops, wrong time of year! just to keep all my new friend from disappearing into cyberspace!!
So, you see, there must be a group, somewhere.....I need some serious help here, but meantime it's time to get going to quilt class!!

Taking Flight!

Since I am the mother of nine, people are often under the misconception that I can handle anything. Sometimes, there are so many things going on at one time that I find the emotions building in me til I just want to run away. I think the call it the fight or flight reaction. Well, it's been a number of years since I wanted to take the fight stance. Now, I'm older and much too weary....I've also found out that it's usually not very productive, to fight I mean,....it's much better to wait, and work things out step by step. When things become overwhelming, I just want to run away, I have no idea where (and at the price of gas today, it can't be very far). Usually, when this happens my husband is at work and I'll call him and say, 'I've had it, I may not be here when you get home, I'm going to run away'......my husband is a very good, loving and very patient (with me) person,...he knows I really don't mean it....I just need some time to calm down, collect my thoughts that are going in fifty million directions and go on,...go on to do the job that God has asked me to do.
Tonight I wanted to take flight.....it's been a particularly stressful week, today was a particularly long day and then to finish it off one of my kids pulled a stunt that was so unbelievable that I was speechless! I just wanted to run away, to take flight.......but as usual, I didn't.....I stayed in my bedroom for awhile, then after the kids had gone to bed, I came out to do some quilting....there's something about the calming influence of quilting...it really is a sanity saver!

So, now, I'm okay, calmed down (for the moment), ready for another day.......I think....

Hayden Jack

About a year and a half ago my oldest daughter was pregnant with her fourth baby . We were very excited....as I said in the previous post....grandbabies are the best! Unfortunately, halfway through, at about 20 weeks, the wee babe's heart stopped beating....we don't know why ...it just did. We were all pretty devastated. Well, today was his due date....so I think of it as his birthday. Hayden Jack would have been one years old today. It's funny because even though you didn't get to know him, you find your heart still missing him and it makes you sad. My daughter is expecting another baby, in just a few weeks.....this is a little girl and I must admit to getting a little impatient for this little one to peak her nose out! A very special baby, not to take Hayden's place but just to be here.......I'll just have to save up all my birthday hugs for Hayden to give him when I see him in heaven!

Happy Birthday Hayden! Nana loves you.

Grandbabies!

Anybody that knows me knows that I am just crazy about my grandbabies! In fact, one of my kids, accusingly said one day "you only smile when they are here"....to which I replied...'that's because they don't mouth off to me and give me a hard time'!....anyways, three of them live in one family and one lives in another. The one by himself, well I don't see him very often but the other three are in and out of our house quite often so we get to experience all the marvelous things they say and do....like.....little Verity, who will be three in about a month, told me this morning that her momma gave her a delicious breakfast and that her momma has a baby sister in her tummy! (my daughter is due to give birth in two weeks, we're very excited!)....then yesterday, Verity's older sister Honour decided to try out her printing skills on the outside of their van...with a stone....her mother was not impressed....Honour had already written on something precious awhile ago. At that time my daughter had her print on a piece of paper..'I will only print on paper', which she proudly kept under her pillow as a reminder and frequently showed her mother. When my daughter said, 'What happened to what you already wrote on the paper?' to which an upset Honour replied...'But I didn't have my paper with me!'....you just gotta love them! Now the girls older brother Jairus tried to pull a fast one yesterday....it's spring...everything is happening! They were visiting and Jairus was in my bedroom watching t.v. for awhile. On my night table there were two DVD's...ones that I had purchased specifically for them to watch when their momma goes into labour. One was about a little ballerina girl that I knew Honour would enjoy (and maybe Verity) and the other one was Happy Feet....one that my daughter had said Jairus just loved. Well, when I went to bed last night the ballerina one was still there but the one that had been underneath it was missing! I said to my husband..'now, where is that DVD'...of course, as men are want to say..'what dvd?' 'The Happy Feet' one,...it was there this morning and now it's missing.' A mystery! So, this morning I'm talking to my daughter on the phone and I said....by the way, is Jairus' bag handy (Jairus has taken to carrying a plastic grocery bag around w/him and putting all manner of treasures in it). I explained about the missing dvd, so she went and looked.....3 videos , 3 dvds and a pair of binoculars....and then I hear her laughing.....there was my new dvd! That little monkey! I'm glad it was my daughter that had to take it away from him (he was very upset)...I probably would have given it to him.....how come when you're a mom you can be firm and disciplined but when you're a nana you just become a wobbly bowl of jelly.....ready to give in at the smallest tear or the most engaging smile.........ah,...grandbabies....God's special gift!

Tour de Wett

There is a famous bicycle race in France that I was reminded in church on Sunday morning, that is a lot like my life these days. As I've mentioned before, I have 9 kids. Seven of them are adopted, I only say that because last week I got the comprehension testing results on my 17 year old. Ben has always been delayed, from the first day he came to live with us...early testing showed that he was globally delayed, and it didn't take long for the comprehension age and his actual age to start drifting apart. Even when he first started coming to our house to visit his sibs, at age two, we noticed that his behaviour and sounds were exactly like his 11 month old sister. It was like having twins! Well, last week we found out that his comp. level is that of a six year old.....someone said..'well, he can catch up'...they don't understand ...he'll never catch up, this is as good as it gets. On Sunday. my daughter, who is expecting her baby in three weeks was alarmed when the baby , who has been head down for months, decided to change positions and is now head up! Not a good scenario when you want to home birth! Not even born yet and already she's getting stubborn, her uncle says.....just pedaling away......waiting for that rest stop....it's the Amazing Race!
'I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."

Sundays

Sundays are very busy in our house. Today was a little different because we were celebrating our 16 year old daughters' birthday with all our extended family. At one point there were 27 of us in our little house! Everyone was talking and laughing...good times. It's good to get together with family....it's good to connect...find out how everyone is doing....yep...tiring but good.

Unsettling Times

Today I told my mom that it's okay that I was helping her....that for years she did for me so it wasn't a problem that I was doing for her. When did the roles reverse...did it come upon suddenly or has it been gradually......it's hard to say. My mom is easily confused a lot of the time. So, when we went to the chiropractor today for her very first time, she reminded me of a little child that was bewildered about her circumstances. Mom has had quite severe pain in her hip for about four weeks now, her family doctor diagnosed 'severe arthritis', but the chiropractor said she felt it was her hip joint tuned forward and causing the large muscle in her thigh to try to protect the joint by twisting...like a huge charley horse. She gave her some exercises to work on til she goes back....but mom can't remember the instructions. So, I went over there tonight to go over them and show her several times, what she has to do. I feel very unsettled that she is getting so confused. This is my mom....someone who was always very strong...and now she's not.....now she has to be looked after....just as she looked after me.

Rainy Days...

Well, it's a rainy day today in Ontario.......so what does one do on a rainy day....one is forced to clean!!! I would have much rather done my quilting or read a delicious book just waiting there, taunting me....but, no....one must adhere to one's responsibilities...and so I spent the morning cleaning my kitchen. You see, two of my girls, the 14 and almost 16 year old like to make supper. Now you are probably saying...'aren't you the lucky one'....but unfortunately luck has absolutely nothing to do with it.!(in fact, I often tell my kids that I don't believe in luck since God is in control)...anyways, in their enthusiasm, they don't exactly clean the kitchen up when they're done to the standards that my husband and I like....so....this morning was clean the kitchen....and now it's done....and now I can quilt! Hurrah!

Many Things

Being the mother of nine kids has its distinct challenges....especially when several of them are 'in crisis' at one time. I find myself being pulled in many different directions and the everyday things get messed up. Just last night my brother and his wife were going to come for a visit ...but they didn't come....after I sat there wondering why...I thot ..maybe I was suppose to call them and confirm....sure enough an email from my brother today confirmed that thot........oh well...too many thots...too little brain!....we'll have to set a new date.
Today I plan to make a sandwich and meet my husband for lunch, down at the lake.....it's still chilly but the sun is gloriously shining....and once again, because we have so many kids it's nice to have a few quiet moments in the middle of the day...just to enjoy each other and connect. I love April!

Spring!

I know that spring really, officially started in March...but....I always feel that it doesn't show up til April...I love April...it's one of my favourite months! One of my daughters, Maya, is having her 16th birthday this month and she's very excited. In fact, one of my other daughters, Emma, was overheard to say on Sunday,..when we were eating Jairus's birthday cake that she likes
having a large family because there was always birthday cake around! Not very good when you're a middle aged momma with a spreading waistline. Oh,but nana's are suppose to soft and cuddly, aren't they?